


By seeing you, I saw my future

by De_Mimsy



Series: Victuuriweek 2018 [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: 12year old Yuuri, 16year old Victor, 2018, Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Day 1, Gen, Junior Worldchampionships, Katsuki Yuuri: Future, POV Katsuki Yuuri, POV Victor Nikiforov, Season 1, Victor Nikiforov: Legend, Yuuri sees Victor for the first time, victuuri-week 2018, victuuriweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 23:11:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13534533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/De_Mimsy/pseuds/De_Mimsy
Summary: 16 year old Victor goes to deliver a splendid performance at the Junior World championships.Thousands of kilometres away, in a small town by the sea, Yuuri can only watch the tape of the new skating wonder in excitement.





	By seeing you, I saw my future

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone,  
> so this is it, my first ever publicly shared work of fictional writing. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
> If you liked it, I'd love to read your comment and/ or receive your kudos! ~  
> xo Emma

 

**27.02.2001**

**Junior World Championships, Sofia, Bulgaria**

 

He closed his eyes, focussing on his breath and on the music in his ears. Breathing in, he bent forward and began his warm-up stretches, gently easing into them.

_\- out on 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 – release and in on 21, 22, 23, 24, … next position – out on 21, 22, 23, ..._

I worked hard.

I worked good.

I deserve to win.

_\- out on 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 – release and in on 21, 22, 23, 24, … next position – out on 21, 22, 23, ..._

I have what it takes.

I have the talent.

I have the dedication.

_\- out on 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 – release and in on 21, 22, 23, 24, … next position – out on 21, 22, 23, ..._

I have the power.

I have the grace.

I have the courage.

_\- out on 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 – release and in on 21, 22, 23, 24, … next position – out on 21, 22, 23, …_

I know every step.  
I have what it takes to live my dream,

I have what it takes to win again.

_\- out on 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 – release and in on 21, 22, 23, 24, … next position – out on 21, 22, 23, …_

Today I will give it my all.

Today I will do my very best.

Today, I'm going to win.

 

“VITYA!” Yakov’s unmistakable voice cut through his music. _Oh I guess my group warm-up starts._

“Da, Yakov?” He released his last stretch, taking out his earbuds.

“Warm-ups now, come on.” Yakov said while already turning to walk towards the rink’s entrance.

_Aaahh, Yakov,_ Victor smiled to himself. _S_ _tressed already and I haven't even set my feet on the ice yet._

“You shouldn't worry too much, you know? I'm not doing this for the first time...”

“Hrmpf,” was his coach's only reply, leading them through the double doors.

As the doors opened, the cheers and chatter of the crowd washed over him, together with an upbeat pop song he didn’t know. He took a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath. The crisp rink air welcomed him, and his skin tingled with joyful anticipation, his heartbeat picking up. _Soon._ He took off his blade guards, handing them to his coach.

“I'm not a novice, Yakov,” Victor winked, quickly taking to the ice for his warm-ups.

“Oh really. Could've fooled me,” Yakov grumbled to himself, before barking after his protégée: “AND DON'T START SHOWING OFF YET, KEEP THAT FOR LATER!!! ONLY WARM-UPS!!!”

“Daaaa~”

Victor and his competitors skated to the centre of the ice, standing in line next to each other and waiting to be announced, to each greet the judges and their audience. When his name finally fell, he flashed a bright grin. Turning to all sides, he waved and greeted his audience and his supporters, who called his name and he even could make out several shouts of “Davai” in between.

“Skaters, you may now begin your 5 minute warm-up,” the announcer said and they turned up the volume of the music again.

Victor made a few rounds around the ice, beginning with basic edge work and some compulsory figures, running through parts of his choreography: some spins, a handful of casual double jumps, a few triples, his step sequences. He really felt good today, every glide sure-footed, every step light and effortless. His spins were well centred, they barely travelled. His focus felt as sharp as the blades on his skates – he liked to think that he could control and bend the ice to his will when he felt like that. Adrenaline rushed through him, and he felt like he could burst.

_Actually..._ , he smiled. _Oh he's going to_ love _this one... 1, 2, 3, take-off, tight centre, fly up, up, up... aaaand YES!_ Clapping and cheering filled the rink. As clean as it could be, just what he needed for the end of his warm-up round.

 

Broadly smiling, he made another round and waved up to the ranks, before exiting the ice with his fellow competitors, turning towards his rather red-faced coach.

“VITYA!!! WHAT DID I SAY?! NO SHOWING OFF!!! _But of course_ my foolish student has to do casual triple axels to feed his bigger than life ego. OF COURSE.”

Victor merely shrugged as he answered: “It just felt right. I know what I need and everything just went fine.”

He reached for Yakov’s shoulder for balance and cleaned his blades before he readjusted his guards and took his water bottle.

“No Vitya, you only know what you want. Now let's get back, keep your muscles warm and no more tiring yourself, you hear me?!”

He could barely keep his eye roll to himself. He _knew_ what he had to do. This wasn’t his _first_ competition.

“Go through your choreography in your mind. Mark your movements and focus while you go through it, feel every movement cleanly executed as you listen to the music and imagine skating the routine.”

“Da, da,” Victor sighed, taking a swig of his water.

He looked back at the ice again, wishing he could just perform now. _It's no use. Time to focus. If I do well enough, I may finally switch up to seniors_ _after today_ _._

“Ladies and Gentlemen, after this last groups' warm-up, taking to the ice, presenting France...”

 

Victor placed his earbuds back in his ears, turned the music on and settled back into his pre-competition ritual. Deep breaths, start pose. _1, 2_ extend right arm, reach. _3, 4_ glide right, left, … the world around him drifted away, he got caught up in his story, in his movements. _I worked hard._

_I worked good. I deserve to win._ Reach a little further here... nice and tight centre there... pick up speed with dynamics... _I have what it takes. I have the talent. I have the dedication_ take-off. Body in one line, centre tight. Step sequence. _I have the power. I have the grace. I have the courage._ Into the transition. Combination spin. Choreographic figures. _I know every step. I have what it takes to live my dream, I have what it takes to win again._ 3 F \+ 3TL jump combination. Remember to hold that landing a bit longer... Steps. Spin. _Today I will give it my all. Today I will do my very best. Today, I'm going to win._ Spread Eagle, to 3S, Steps. Spin. _Today I will give it my all. Today I will do my very best. Today, I'm going to win._ Preparing for 3A, take-off. Ending sequence... and hold. _Deep breaths, shake it off, get loose and again with focus on the presentation and emotion._ _I'm going to win._

He went through it again and again in his head, picturing every detail, imagining his success, keeping his breaths at level. For the last two run-throughs he decided to just bounce  on his spot, while imagining, shaking his limbs,  and  rolling his joints. 

Yakov appeared in front of him jerking his head towards the rink entrance. Seeing it, Victor's heart began to pound faster. _N_ _ow it's time, I'm on my way to victory. I am the best there is, the ice is my home._

 

Again, the crisp air welcomed him into the rink, cheers and applause complimenting the efforts of his competitor, who just sat down in the Kiss and Cry. The one before Victor was about to take to the ice, preparing himself for his start.

Victor felt his heart aching, eager to show himself, impatience growing – why did he have to go last? _Very soon_ , he told himself, before doing his last minute stretches and mobilisation exercises, trying hard to contain his energy trough deep breaths, trying to stay focussed. He barely noticed that the skater before him started, his whole being was shivering with anticipation, with joy, eagerness, pride... and then his turn _finally_ arrived. Handing everything to Yakov, he stepped on the ice, turning to face his coach again.

“Hey Yakov... I'm going to be the best today,” lights reflected from the clear gemstones down from his right shoulder across his torso to his hips, his black and red half skirt fawning every movement of his hips, his long, silvery blond hair contrasting nicely with the overall black of his costume.

“That's what I expect from you, keep your focus, you know what to do.”

“Sure. And Yakov? In my FS I'll break records.”

“That's what you came here for.”

“Yes, I did. Gotta start making history now, if I want to become a legend, don't I?”

“I just now told you to focus. Focus on the skate you have to do _now_ , then maybe you'll start making history. _Now off you go,_ stop wasting your time chatting with me!”

“Taking to the ice, the gold medal favourite and last competitor of the junior men's short program, Russia's incredible, 16 year old VICTOR NIKIFOROV!”

Victor basked in the cheers and applause as he skated a lap around the ice, smiling and waving, shaking the rest of his unnecessary tension off, coming to a stop centre ice, drawing deep breaths as the audience fell silent. _Now._ He took his position, a smile playing on his lips and the music began to play, pulling him in.

 

 

The cheers and applause were deafening and broke through his trance. Panting from exertion he held his ending pose a few seconds, getting himself back together. _The points are going to be good. Quite sure I managed first._ He waved, smiled and bowed a few times towards the different parts of his audience, before he made his way to the exit. Just as he wanted to take the last few steps, a brown, fluffy plush dog landed to his right. And he got weak – he simply had to pick it up and keep it. Animals, but especially dogs were a weak, weak spot in his heart and this plush toy was no exception. He answered Yakov's cocked eyebrow with a dashing smile, clutching the dog to his chest. He would _definitely keep that one._ (It was so cute. And sooo fluffy.) One was alright.

Yakov just rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright. I'm just saying: you cannot keep them all.”

“Awww thank you, coach~”.

Yakov made a half grumpy – half amused sound and gave him his guards and jacket, patting him with a nod on his back as he finally stepped down from the ice.

On their way to the Kiss and Cry, Victor finally found the nerve to say what he’d thought about for weeks now. The decision felt right, it felt good. “Yakov... after this competition I am done with juniors”, he paused, frowning. “...I am done with Juniors for sure if I break the world record in my free skate.”

“Mhm.”

“Yakov?”

“You're never going to give me a break, are you?”

Victor just looked back at his coach, eyes wide and innocent, doing his best attempt at puppy-eyes. Yakov looked as if he was ready to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“No, of course you won't give me a break. But listen to this, and maybe you are capable of wise decisions: postpone it. You are good enough, mature enough, sure. But you aren't done with growing yet. Another growth-spurt is critical while already competing on the senior division. It throws you off, makes it harder to stay successful against the others, those who are done with growing. It's easier on you to hold it off another year.”  
Again Victor was looking at Yakov with wide eyes, this time though, it was out of astonishment.

“But wouldn't that be... too easy?”

Shaking his head, Yakov just sighed.  
“Promise me to think that through. And now enough of that, your score is about to be announced.”

Victor smiled to himself – seniors within reach... He was ready, so ready to make himself known, to become the one to beat.

 

 

 

**28.02.2001**

**Ice Castle Hasetsu, Japan**

 

“Yuuuuuuuriii-kuuuun! Finally, there you are! I've been dying to show you something!” Yuuko called as she hugged her younger friend tightly.

“Yuuko's in love. And she doesn't even know him,” Takeshi said, rolling his eyes.

“I am not! Victor is just perfect, but you wouldn't understand!”

“Uhh... Yuuko-san... who is this Victor?”

“That's what I wanted to show you! We recorded yesterdays competition, it was too late in the night to watch live, but Yuuri-kun, he is the best. THE BEST. He is SO TALENTED! We have to watch it _now_ ,” Yuuko squealed, which Takeshi answered with a tormented sigh.  
“I already have everything set up, come on, come ooooooooon!” And with this, she half-dragged poor little Yuuri towards the old TV, which held a frozen, grainy picture of a skating rink. Then, Yuuko pressed play.

“ _Taking to the ice, the gold medal favourite and last competitor of the junior men’_ _s short program_ _, Russia's incredible, 16 year old VICTOR NIKIFOROV!”_

 

The Japanese commentary overlapped the English one, but Yuuri couldn't be bothered. His eyes grew wide, his breath caught midway. For the first time he saw someone he wouldn't even have believed existed, not if that someone wouldn't be skating and waving around the pictured ice rink.

When the young, eerily beautiful man with the long silvery hair took his place centre ice, striking his start position, the music began to play. Everything transformed. Never before had Yuuri felt something like this: his heart stopped and beat frantically all at once, his eyes grew impossibly wider as he watched the pure beauty, passion, dedication and utter perfection unfold before him. The young man danced, made music, skated and told a story at the same time, performing from the bottom of his heart.

And Yuuri wanted. He wanted to be able to do this kind of magic, too. He wanted to fly across the ice and dance, jump and spin as if gravity was nothing. He wanted it with every fiber of his being, wanted it more than he ever wanted anything. He wanted to live like this, to fly and dance... to fly and dance beside this beautiful boy, to be alive beside him.

Throughout the whole performance Yuuri was unable to look away, mesmerized. When the program came to an end, Yuuri knew what to do: He, too, would start to take competitive skating seriously. He would train hard and he would meet this boy. One day, he would skate with this young man.

  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Oh yeah, I also have a [**YOI tumblr blog**](https://and-then-yoi-happened.tumblr.com)
> 
> Edited 16.07.18. (Grammar, style & layout)


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